New SuiteScript 2.0 Training: Unleash the Power of NetSuite Customization

Posted by Bruce Tanenholtz, Manager of Technical Training, NetSuite

SuiteScript has long been one of the most valuable and widely used tools in NetSuite. Thousands of developers and administrators have used SuiteScript 1.0 to customize and automate key business processes, empowering their organizations to run faster and more cost-efficiently.

So it’s no surprise that the new SuiteScript 2.0 API, generally available as of NetSuite 16.1, has generated a lot of interest and questions among NetSuite developers. What are the key distinctions between SuiteScript 1.0 and 2.0? Do we need to upgrade our existing 1.0 scripts? What value does SuiteScript 2.0 offer to our developers and our business?

We now have two new SuiteTraining courses that are designed to address those questions. Aimed both at SuiteScript newbies and those experienced with SuiteScript 1.0, these courses equip developers to take full advantage of the modular, intuitive JavaScript-based SuiteScript 2.0 syntax to improve productivity and performance.

SuiteScript 2.0: Extend NetSuite with JavaScript provides developers new to SuiteScript with the know-how and best practices to create and deploy 2.0 script types. This five-day training progresses from the basics to more advanced functions for creating flexible business logic. Right now this course is available via virtual training only. The self-study option is coming soon. Check out the course schedule to register for an upcoming class.

SuiteScript 2.0 for Experienced SuiteScript Developersshows seasoned users how to apply existing knowledge to write User Event, Client, Suitelet and other script types in SuiteScript 2.0. This two-day course also covers converting 1.0 scripts to 2.0, using the new Map/Reduce script type for better batch throughput and the new Promise API, enabling asynchronous server calls to improve performance. This course is available via virtual training or as self-study. Check out the course schedule for class dates and times.

SuiteScript 2.0 builds on the success of 1.0 with a more natural, object-oriented syntax that is easier to reuse and maintain. NetSuite recommends that all new scripts be written in SuiteScript 2.0, though 1.0 will remain available and supported by NetSuite. While there’s no immediate need to convert existing 1.0 scripts to 2.0, developers will need to upgrade scripts to 2.0 in order to take advantage of features available only in SuiteScript 2.0. Future enhancements to the SuiteScript feature set will be limited to 2.0. 1.0 is now in maintenance mode.

At a high level, SuiteScript 2.0 provides better modularity, efficiency and ease of upgrades:

Modularity. SuiteScript 2.0 uses an asynchronous module definition (AMD) design, so that developers create modules, not functions. Modules are parked in the system and are called only when needed.

Efficiency. Since almost all functions are now accessed as methods within modules, they are not loaded into the global scope at runtime, meaning that scripts run more efficiently. New features such as the Map/Reduce script type are aimed at faster performance.

Ease of upgrades. Aside from new functionality in SuiteScript 2.0, you can easily upgrade to new versions without having to significantly change code. For instance, upgrading from SuiteScript 2.0 to a future version can be as easy as changing the version number.

Businesses will see additional benefits by embracing SuiteScript 2.0. For one, the modern JavaScript coding style in SuiteScript 2.0 is more readily understood by web developers, making your organization more attractive to potential software developers.

“A very practical, hands-on and theoretical course that covered a wide range of technical subjects within NetSuite using the latest API (2.0).” — Student of SuiteScript 2.0: Extend NetSuite with JavaScript.

“This is a great course with a wonderful instructor, and there isn't anything that I'd recommend changing.” — Student of SuiteScript 2.0 for Experienced SuiteScript Developers.

If you have any questions, contact educationadvisor@netsuite.com to work with a NetSuite Education Advisor to select the right SuiteScript 2.0 course for you!